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AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
CHAPTER VII. 
The Yellala of the Congo. 
The following is a description of the famous Yellala 
Falls : — 
At dawn (September 16), I began the short march 
leading to the Yellala. By stepping a few paces south 
of Nkulu, we had a fine view of the Borongwa ya Vivi, 
the lowest rapids, whose foaming slope contrasted well 
with the broad, smooth basin beyond. Palabala, the 
village of Nekorado on the other side of the stream, 
bore south (Mag.), still serving as a landmark; and in 
this direction the ridges were crowned with palm orchards 
and settlements. But the great Yellala was hidden by 
the hill-shoulder. 
We at once fell into a descent of some 890 feet, which 
occupied an hour. The ground was red iron-clay, greasy 
and slippery ; dew-dripping grass, twelve to fifteen feet 
tall, lined the path ; the surface was studded with dark 
ant-hills of the mushroom shape ; short sycamores 
appeared, and presently we came to rough gradients of 
stone, which severely tried the “ j arrets.” After an 
hour, we crossed at the trough-foot a brook of pure 
water, which, uniting with two others, turns to the 
north-east, and, tumbling over a little ledge, discharges 
itself into the main drain. An ascent then led over a 
rounded hill with level summit, and precipitous face all 
steps and drops of rock, some of them six and seven feet 
high, opposed to the stream. Another half hour, and a 
descent of 127 feet placed us under a stunted calabash, 
100 feet above the water, and commanding a full view 
of the Yellala. 
On the whole, the impression was favourable. Old 
Shimbah, the Linguister at Porto da Lenlia, and other 
